Last night, he was trying to convince a younger sibling that it probably tasted like a cookie worth nibbling on. Yuck!
*******************
I am happy to report that finally-- Dennis is on the up and up. After sleeping for four hours in the afternoon yesterday, he wolfed down three bowls of mac and cheese for dinner. At that point I believed he was getting better but I wanted to see how he slept through the night. He did-- and his gums hardly bled when I brushed his teeth this morning! After a full week of one of the worst sicknesses I have seen, Dennis looks like he will recover. Just in time too because now William is running a fever.
Dennis enjoys doing anything school related. Cutting with scissors, coloring, drawing, you name it-- Dennis loves to do it! And the fact that he has the energy is further evidence that he is on the road to recovery!
Alex is making alot of progress too. Just a week ago, he could not make an S even after tracing fifty S's in a row. He just did not have the confidence or the ability. This week, not only can he make an S but he can write the sentence-- I see a cat and copy it on the line below. Sure the spacing is off and his letters are not in the lines but the fact that he can even copy the sentence is just amazing to me! He has also picked up markers on his own to draw me a picture-- something he had to be coaxed into doing before.
The best thing is that he is getting his homework done much quicker now so he can go out and have some fun in the backyard! I think that homeschooling will give him much more time to play with Dennis.
Anastasia and Sveta are both in the sixth grade. The two of them are very close and have alot in common. They love to listen to music and play with our animals. Had you asked me three months ago I would've said that the two of them would be the least likely to mesh, but I was wrong. What a special bond the two of them have. Anastasia is excelling in school so quickly that I can see her helping Sveta with her homework very soon!
As soon as we move, I will begin homeschooling Alex, Jonathan, and Rachel. For Alex the teacher and I chose the following curriculum. Sing, Spell, Read and Write which I will modify to his level, Handwriting Without Tears, Explode the Code for phonics, and either Math U See or MCP Math. For Jonathan, most of his work will be at the second grade level and will consist of Houghton-Mifflin Reading, Wordly Wise for spelling and vocabulary, a writing journal, Explode the Code, Saxon Math, Volume 4 of The Story of the World, and Maps, Globes, and Graphs. Hopefully he will get an art kit too. As for Rachel, her curriculum will meet her exactly where she is and teach her from there. I am so excited about this! We are not sure if she will be using Teaching Textbooks, Math U See, or Saxon Math. There are remedial workbooks that focus on concepts like fractions, decimals, and measurements which will help her to catch up to where she should be. She will be doing spelling, vocabulary, and writing enrichment. She will do Story of the World with Jonathan in addition to AGS science. It sounds like alot to begin with but I wanted to make sure we had more than enough while we get used to homeschooling. Not everything will be done everyday and not everything will be a good fit for each child. If at the end of the semester we find out that something is not working for them, we can make adjustments for the next semester.
Dare I say-- I am getting excited.
13 inspiring thoughts:
http://www.crayonrocks.net/
have you heard of these? I only recently learned of them and maybe they would help Alex with his fine motor skills for writing! :)
We love Story of the World and we don't homeschool. The kids love to listen to it. We are only on Volume 2 (we listened to Volume 1 3 times!) but it is fun! There is an activity book to go with it that I should check out. If you are in the car for a long time I recommend getting the CD version.
Not sure what grade of math assignments you are looking into for Rachel. I know for me I was failing math when I got to the pre-algebra stage. Switching from Saxon to Bon Jones really helped me. Bob Jones had videos at the time and I went from not being able to understand the concepts to getting A's on most tests. Some of it depends on learning styles as to the best curriculum as well as which grade you are looking at. I know Saxon does a lot of reviewing of past concepts--which may be good if she is not doing Algebra yet--but I found Bob Jones math to be better for Algebra.
I am getting excited to follow your journey as you homeschool the three of them! And dare I say I am somewhat jealous! I sooo wish I could stay home with my struggling student and help him learn to enjoy learning without the pressure of trying to keep up with his peers or of being found out as one who struggles. Please be sure to share lots with us as you venture down this path. :o)
I'm so glad you stopped by my blog today. I just recently realized your blog was no longer coming to my Reader....don't know why...so was happy to become a follower to your Smiles and Trials today. What an appropriate name for the parenting journey!
Wow! Just catching up on your past couple of MONTHS (sorry!) and I am so thrilled to see your photos and hear your updates! Praying for a smooth transition for all! God bless!
Christine, I *just* found out about this series about 2 weeks ago and we will be moving to them very soon: http://www.stanleyschmidt.com/FredGauss/31samplepages.html
A friend of mine has been using them and loves them...she's a long time homeschooling Mom with one who just graduated and one just out of diapers for 7 kiddos total. She started using them with one child who was having lots of trouble with math and the results have been fantastic. There are lots of samples to look at on the site. Just wanted to add another option to your mix. :)
You totally have the right attitude about this. I guarantee there are things that you'll change once you get into the swing of things, but I think you're going to really have a great time and the kids are going to benefit.
Glad to hear Dennis is on the mend. He and Dante would get along very well, I think, Dante is never happier than when a pair of scissors is in his hands.
I used handwriting without tears .I felt the program was excellent. I was able to buy wooden blocks which also helped with the handwriting and hand on experience with writing and tracing the alphabet letters. I also used the handwriting without tears program when my chldren went to their private ot theraphy session.I found that the local school district ot program did not use that program. The ot that the school distict offered was more a group approach.But I found both approaches helpful.
We use teaching textbooks for Joseph. We had tried several different curriculums, with little success. For whatever reason, teaching textbooks click for Joey. Do you have access to a loan library until you can figure out what works best for each child in each area? I usually ask friends if I can look at theirs, or I let various friends borrow my curriculums before they go and buy them for their children. It can save some anxiety and stress both in work and in cost. Or maybe you can get them cheaper on ebay? Just a thought. Best of luck to you all.
It sounds like the kids are doing great. I've heard good things about the Handwriting Without Tears. Good luck!
Hey Christine,
Melin from FRUA saying hello. Want to tell you that I believe you have made fabulous curriculum choices for the kids. Not that you asked, but for Rachel's math I would go with the Teaching Textbook for many reasons. First, the guy is actually interesting and you might find yourself getting drawn into the lessons.
Next, the ability to have the lessons demonstrated and then view it again and again is priceless. Finally, I personally think it is the textbook that translates best into doing well on SAT's, ect.
You are about to begin something more wonderful than you possibly imagined.
Keep all of us on FRUA updated since the group has a lot of homeschooling wisdom and you will contribute fresh insight there, as well.
Be well.
Have you thought about using an Orton Gillingham/Multisensory/Preventing Academic Failure type program? It's awesome for kids with special needs, and I think Alex might really like it.
I just started getting trained in Preventing Academic Failure's Program, which is a multisensory reading/handwriting/spelling thing, but I know that Orton Gillingham is often used with kids like Cute Mr Alex!
Post a Comment